Milk tankers often collect milk from a variety of sources. Such milk can be delivered to a central processing or storage facility. Typically, diagnostic tests are run on the milk at the central facility. For example, the milk can be tested and analyzed for a variety of antibiotics and toxins. In some cases, however, it is useful for the central facility to have test results before the milk arrives. Advance notice can also allow the central facility to divert contaminated, or otherwise less desirable, milk for other purposes or not receive contaminated milk at all. It is desirable to avoid a long drive with contaminated milk that is unacceptable to the central facility. It is also desirable to avoid a delay in unloading good milk, while awaiting a test result.
A central facility might want milk from each source, for example each farmer, to be tested prior to loading onto a milk tanker. If a tanker is contaminated then the central facility will want a separate record of where the contamination originated. In addition, such a record will prevent dilution of bad milk with good milk from shielding the source of the contamination from consequences even if that tanker later becomes diluted so that the contamination is below “acceptable” levels. It is also desirable to test milk prior to loading onto a tanker and, thereby prevent commingling of contaminated milk with uncontaminated milk.
Lateral-flow or immunochromatographic test kits and methods for the detection of the presence or concentration of chemical analytes and residues, such as antibiotics, in liquid samples, some with sensitivity adjustment, are known in the art. Such tests include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,410,808, issued Aug. 12, 2008; U.S. Pat. No. 7,097,983, issued Aug. 29, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,805, issued Nov. 5, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,466, issued Nov. 20, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 5,985,675, issued Nov. 16, 1999 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/883,784, filed Aug. 6, 2007, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by this reference. Such tests are among those that can be used to cost-effectively test milk, and other agricultural products while in transit thereby improving transport logistics.